BATMAN Proposed to [SPOILER], But Will That Really Change Things?

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There are major spoilers ahead for today’s Batman # 24! If you’ve managed to avoid the identity of Bruce Wayne’s possible bride and want to remain unspoiled, then you should turn back now!

During Batman’s recent crossover with The Flash, the Dark Knight had an encounter that could only happen in comics: he met his father, Thomas Wayne, from the alternate Flashpoint timeline in which Bruce’s father became Batman. During that brief reunion, the elder Wayne urged his son to let the Batman identity die with him and find the happiness he deserved. Bruce was so shaken by his father’s words that he actually considered his advice. And this week, Batman # 24 found Bruce attempting to follow his father’s wish without giving up on his costumed identity. Instead, Bruce caught up with Catwoman, a.k.a. Selina Kyle, and professed his love for her before proposing.

So, should we start a Bat-registry for the wedding? Not so fast, comic fans! Catwoman’s answer is being held off for a later issue, as Bruce intends to share his deepest darkest secret while recounting the upcoming flashback storyline, The War of Jokes and Riddles. It’s possible that DC will actually go through with the wedding, since the company’s anti-marriage stance on superheroes appears to have been relaxed. Remember, it was just a few years ago that Batwoman wasn’t allowed to be married in her comic, but now the Superman and Lois Lane marriage is back. Could a married Batman and Catwoman follow?

Batman and Catwoman have had a flirtatious relationship for decades, and out of all of his lovers, Bruce has always found himself more drawn to Selina than anyone else.

But this actually wouldn’t be the first time that Batman tied the knot with Catwoman in the comics. During the ’70s, it was established that Bruce and Selina were married on Earth-2, the home of the Golden Age heroes whose adventures had been chronicled in the comics since the ’30s. And out of that union came Helena Wayne, the Huntress.

Unfortunately, Bruce and Selina’s marriage ended in tragedy when she was blackmailed into resuming her Catwoman identity and lost her life. During the ’80s, Batman and Catwoman resumed their relationship in the regular DC Universe, only to be broken up when the Joker brainwashed Catwoman into forgetting Bruce’s secret identity and reverting back to her criminal nature.

In the ’90s, Batman and Catwoman had a more standoffish relationship, but that changed during the Hush storyline in 2003, when Bruce revealed his identity to Selina and they made a serious attempt at a real romance. It didn’t last, and Catwoman even had a daughter named Helena by Sam Bradley Jr., a lover she met a few years later.

For the New 52 reboot, most of the history between the two characters was jettisoned, but it was revealed that Batman and Catwoman were sleeping together even before they mutually shared their secret identities. The current run by writer Tom King has added more depth to their relationship, which has made the proposal into a truly plausible marriage.

If DC decides to move forward with this union, this could be a unique period in Batman’s history. The previous marriage between Batman and Catwoman was shuffled off onto an alternate Earth, so this would be the first time that it played out in the “real” continuity. However, the biggest stumbling blocks will always be Bruce and Selina’s dueling natures. Catwoman is far too restless to ever settle down for long, and Batman just isn’t capable of fully letting go and embracing love.

There’s another angle that some fans are forgetting. King has also hinted that the superpowered Gotham Girl will eventually murder Batman, as revealed in a passage narrated by Gotham Girl from a future perspective. That would be one way to end a potential Batman and Catwoman marriage, but we wouldn’t expect that death to stick either.

Do you think that Batman and Catwoman can find wedded bliss together on the rooftops of Gotham? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!